Health Professions Center

Pacific University

Health Professions Center

Pacific University

Health Professions Center

Pacific University

Health Professions Center

Pacific University

Providing More Usable and Adaptable Space for Clinical and Research Programs

Designed to consolidate clinical and research programs from several locations in two urban buildings close to mass transit and related health care institutions, it houses programs in dental hygiene, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, optometry, physician assistants and professional psychology.

Size

Year Complete

Sustainability

Project Tags

Awards

Excellence in Concrete, 2008

This fast-track project, completed in just 18 months, marks the first of two phases of development for Pacific University’s new College of Health Professions.

The Health Professions Center is the first building on an entirely new campus for Pacific University. Designing a building with enough space on the ground floor for all the required public neighborhood uses — an independent health clinic, retail space, and a food service provider — while still providing the university with a bold new presence was equally challenging. An open stair in the center of the building, food service on the ground floor, and a central atrium are intended to break down divisions common within academia and cultivate interaction between departments. The Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, a non-profit clinic serving the working poor, is also located in the new building.

An integrated design process allowed SRG to focus on the most cost-effective sustainable strategies: leveraging the building’s orientation, giving small rooms small windows and positioning them on the south side of the building, using a super-insulated shell, maximizing daylighting, and employing rain harvesting.